Crew of a vessel alleged to be involved in Baltic Sea cable disruption face sabotage accusations and are being prosecuted by Finnish authorities.
In a significant development, Finnish prosecutors have officially charged the captain and two senior officers of the Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S with sabotage. The charges, announced on Monday, are related to the cutting of five undersea cables in the Baltic Sea in December 2024.
The alleged sabotage incident caused extensive damage, including to the EstLink 2 power cable and four telecommunications cables between Finland and Estonia. Repair costs alone are estimated to be around 60 million euros ($70 million).
The Eagle S is believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a collection of aging tankers used to circumvent oil export sanctions. The ship is accused of dragging its anchor on the seabed for about 90 kilometers in the Gulf of Finland, causing the damage.
The defendants deny wrongdoing and claim that Finland lacks jurisdiction because the damage occurred outside its territorial waters. They are currently banned from leaving Finland.
The nationalities of the accused have not been officially disclosed, though many crew members are reported to be Indian and Georgian nationals. The incident posed a serious risk to Finland’s energy supply and telecommunications, but services have been secured through alternative connections.
The charges include “aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications.” The current status is that the legal proceedings are ongoing, with no updates beyond the August 2025 charges and current legal status having been reported.
[1] BBC News, "Oil tanker crew charged with Baltic Sea cable sabotage," 2 August 2025, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57932638
[2] Reuters, "Finnish prosecutors charge crew of Cook Islands-registered oil tanker with sabotage," 2 August 2025, www.reuters.com/world/europe/finish-prosecutors-charge-crew-cook-islands-registered-oil-tanker-sabotage-2025-08-02/
[3] The Guardian, "Crew of oil tanker charged with sabotage after Baltic Sea cable damage," 2 August 2025, www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/02/crew-of-oil-tanker-charged-with-sabotage-after-baltic-sea-cable-damage
[4] Al Jazeera, "Finland charges oil tanker crew with sabotage over Baltic Sea cable damage," 2 August 2025, www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/2/finland-charges-oil-tanker-crew-with-sabotage-over-baltic-sea-cable-damage
[5] CNN, "Crew of Cook Islands-registered oil tanker charged with sabotage," 2 August 2025, www.cnn.com/world/2025/08/02/europe/finland-oil-tanker-crew-charged-sabotage/index.html
- The ongoing trial, involving war-and-conflicts and politics, revolves around the charging of the captain and senior officers of the Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S for sabotage in the Baltic Sea.
- The general news of the damaged power cable and telecommunications lines between Finland and Estonia in December 2024 is linked to the crime-and-justice story of the oil tanker Eagle S, which is believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
